Railway-torpedo placer.



R. F. BiNGMAN & GFH. WINGHELL.

RAILWAY TORPEDO PLACER.

APPLIUATIONIPILBD JUNE 29, 1910.

1,070,942. b Patented Aug.19,1913.

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WITNESSES R. F. BINGMAN & GLH. WINGHELL. RAILWAY TORPEDO PLACER. APPLIOATION'IILED 111N329, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 I WITNESSES INVENTOM.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. BINGMAN AND GEORGE H. WIN'GI-IELL, OF MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA.

RAILWAY-TORPEDO PLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Application filed June 29, 1910. Serial No. 569,560.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ROBERT F. BINGMAN and GEORGE H. WVINOHELL, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of Muskogee, in the county of Muskogee and State of Oklahoma, pray that Letters Patent may be granted to us for Improvements in Railway-Torpedo Placers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway appliances and particularly to those for placing torpedoes on the rails of railway tracks.

An object of this invention is to provide novel means adapted to travel with a car, said means being operative to apply torpedoes to a rail while the car is in motion, the said torpedoes being also of novel construction whereby they clamp themselves on the rail and are retained thereon through the operation of the said clamps. While we shall, in this specification, refer to railway rolling stock as being a car, it is to be understood that we mean thereby any engine, car or truck which is being run on a track and we, therefore, do not wish to be limited with respect to the vehicle or rolling stock to which the invention is attached.

A further object of this invention is to provide a torpedo placer which is preferably manually operated for the purpose of feeding torpedoes toward the discharge opening of a torpedo holder in a step by step movement whereby, with each operation of the mechanism, one torpedo is discharged from the torpedo holder and the torpedoes in the holder are advanced toward the discharge opening, as stated.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a torpedo placing mechanism having guiding means whereby the torpedo placing mechanism is held in operative relation to the rail to which the torpedois to be applied while the car is moving, means being also provided for holding the torpedo in place on the rail until the clamps by which the torpedoes are held in place become effective for retaining the same.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of the torpedo carrier and placer having means for attaching the same to the car, the mechanism being shown in its elevated, operative position; Fig. 2 illustrates a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that the mechanism is in its lowermost positionwhere it would descend for the purpose of placing a torpedo; Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective v1ew of the magazine; Fig. 4 illustrates a side elevation, partly in section, of a magazine with torpedoes associated therewith and the plunger for displacing the torpedoes from the magazine; Fig. 5 illustrates an enlarged perspective view in detail of a fragment of the magazine with a torpedo thereon; Fig. 6 illustrates a side elevation of the plunger for displacing a torpedo; Fig. 7 illustrates a top plan view thereof; Fig. 8 illustrates a section of a fragment of a rail with a torpedo applied thereto; and Fig. 9 illustrates a plan view of a fragment of a shoe for retaining the "torpedo in place while the clamping members thereof are engaging the rail.

In these drawings 11 denotes a clamp which is designed to be clamped to a frame or sill of a car truck or body, which clamp is attached to an arm 12. The arm is provided with a bracket 13 in which a pulley 14: is mounted, the said pulley being engaged by a flexible device 15 which is to be op erated for the purpose ofshifting the position of the torpedo placing mechanism.

The arm 12 is provided with a slot 16 in which a lever 17 is pivoted, the said lever having an eye 18 in its upper end to receive the flexible connection 15, the lower end of the said lever being connected to an eye carried by the bar 20 which bar 20 serves to support the torpedo carrier and the operating parts. The lever 17 is further provided with a longitudinally dis-posed slot 21 to receive the pivot 22, thus permitting the said lever to move longitudinally and at the same time oscillate on said pivot. A spring 23 embraces a portion of the lever above the arm and bears against the said arm. The action of the spring 23 is to normally project the lever upwardly with respect to the arm although the said lever may be brought to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 by pulling on the flexible connection which will compress the saidv spring and at the same time oscillate the lever.

The bar is connected with the arm 12' through the medium of the links 24, which links are pivoted to the bar and to the arm.

thus permitting the said bar to swing with relation to the arm as pull is exerted on the lever or as the said lever is operating under the influence ot' the sirin to cause the.

wheel 27 av plunger 29 which is connected to the said lever through the medium of they pivotal pin 30. The end of the plunger remote from the pivot 30 is bifurcated to form the fork 31, the ends of which. are

notched to form the seats 32 which are adapted to engage the edges of the torpedo holders to be presently described.v O wingto the fact that the weight of the wheel 27 overcomes the gravity of the plunger 29, the said wheel. tends to travel on the rail even though the torpedo placing mechanism is, elevated but, as it is preferable that saldi wheel shall not rotate when not in actual use, it is normally. held slightly out of contact with the rail as shown in Fig. 1;. The wheel 25 is, however, adapted to roll upon the track rail and coilperate therewith and with the lever 30, which resultsin operating the plunger as the torpedo placing mechanism is elevated or lowered, it being shown in Fig. 1. that when themechanism is ele vated the plunger is retracted'iw'hereas when.

the said mechanism is lowered, the plunger is projected with relation to the carrier to be now described.

The magazine 33 consists preferably of a plate having one of its ends bent at an angle as shown at 34 bolted or otherwise secured to the bar 20. Thecarrier extends.

downwardly and obliquely withrelation to the bar 20 and has a lower. end 35 that is.

wider than the main portion or stem of the carrier. The stem is further provided with an aperture 3Gthrough which the plunger. 29 is reciprocatcd,and the said stem also has guides or shoulders 37. which contact with the prongs 31 of the plunger 29 and by which the said plunger centered in the aperture 36. Contiguous with the lower edge of the aperture 36, is the tongue 37",

which forms a support for the free end of the plunger 29. The sides ofthe stem at its junction with the enlarged end are slitted and bent, as shown to form these guides 37. Adjacent to the slits 38 are the cam surfaces 50 and 51, which cooperate with the members 43 for centering the torpedo holders on the relatively broad end of the stem, after the disengagement of the torpedo holders from the guides 37, of the magazine, as hereinafter described.

The torpedoes 40 are mounted on rectangular plates 41. which might be termed torpedo holders and the said plates 41 have bearings 42 in which clamps 43 are pivoted, the bearings being formed by bending the ends of the plates as. shown. The plates 40 are further provided with curved ears 44, one at each end, which embrace the edges of the stem of the carrier. The stem of the carrier is provided with a notch 44 near the upper end in order to permit the ap plication of the cars 44 thereto so that said ears will embrace the edges of the stem of the magazine. The engagement of the cars 44 with the stem. is such. as to permit the plate to slide longitudinally of the stem by reasonot the weight of the torpedoes and torpedo holders alone. From an inspection of Fig. 4 it. will be seen that the torpedo holders 41 are placed on the carrier 33 one above the other, the torpedo of one plate beingincontact with a curved lug 45 on the next succeeding plate, and that the plunger 29* contacts the lowermost torpedo holder on the carrier for the purpose of projecting it beyond the end of the carrier into engagement with the rail. The torpedoes are secured to the plates or holders 41 by a segmental portion of the Iormer, whereby the greater portion thereof over-hangs the edges of'the plate so that a space is provided under the torpedo and between the edges of the plates, or. holders wherein the plunger-forks 31' may enter and embrace the lug 45. for moving it from the plate onto the rail of thetraclc. Those portions of the clamps 43 which are in the bearings 42 may be termed the pintles 46 of said clampsand in order to cause the clamps toengage the rail and retain the plate with a torpedo thereon in proper position, the pintle portion 46 of the clamps are encircled by springs 47 and have diverging ends 48 and 49 engaging the clamp and plate respectively and coact to swing the outer ends of the clamps down wardl'y and inwardly to engage the head oi a rail.

For the purpose of setting the clamps or moving them so that they will be in position to-swing downwardly to embrace the head ofa rail, the said clamps are swung on their pintles by reason of the fact that the said clamps engage the cam edges 50 and 51 of the enlarged end of the magazine. After i116 plate 41 has been engaged by the plunger and moved from the stem, the clamping members ride over the cam surfaces 5O and 51 and move to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which position the clamps may be said to be open. When the plunger is moved to such an extent as to push the plate 41 beyond the end of the magazine the clamping members are released and under the influence of the springs 47 will be caused to engage the rail, thereby attaching the torpedo to the rail.

In order to insure proper adjustment of the torpedo to the rail even though the car is moving at a high rate of speed, the torpedo placing apparatus is provided with a shoe 52, the under surface of which is concaved in cross section, the said shoe being designed to partially embrace the head of a rail over which it is traveling and to engage the torpedo for the purpose of holding it thereon while the clamping members are being set. The shoe has an extension 53 bolted to the bar 20 and it is further provided with a brace 54 by which it is suspended from the said bar. The maga- Zine at its lower end terminates under the shoe and the torpedoes projected from the casing are engaged by the shoe, as stated, and held on the track until the same are engaged by the clamps.

The shape of the clamps a3 is an immaterial detail of construction, it is believed, and as they are well shown in Fig. 5 their characteristics will not be dwelt upon fur ther.

In operating the torpedo placer, a pull directed on the flexible connection 15 will result in swinging the lever 17 on its pivot and at the same time moving the said lever longitudinally, thus communicating motion to the bar 20 which swings on its links 24: from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. While a change in the posit-ion of the parts is taking place, it is obvious that the lever 26 will operate the thrust rod 29 and that said thrust rod being in contact with plate 41 will project the plate and torpedo outwardly over the cam surfaces 50 and 51 onto the enlarged end of the carrier thus causing the clamping members to spread or swing on their pintles to an open position in which they are retained until the plate passes beyond the end of the carrier, after which the clamps are set in engagement with the rail and hold the plate thereon, the said clamp, plate and torpedo being meanwhile prevented from sidewise displacement by means of the shoe 52. Upon releasing the flexible connection 15,the spring 23 exerts pressure thereon to move the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby again moving the lever 26 on its pivot and withdrawing the thrust rod in order that its end may engage the plate of the next succeeding torpedo; and with each descent and ascent of the torpedo placing mechanism, a torpedo is projected into engagement with a rail.

We claim 1. In a torpedo placer, a torpedo carrier, means for supporting the torpedo carrier, torpedoes, spring held clamping members on the torpedoes shaped to embrace the edges of the torpedo carrier and slidable longitudinally thereof, means connected with the torpedo carrier for spreading the clamping members, torpedo displacing means for forcing torpedoes from the torpedo carrier, a shoe suitably supported and located over the end of the torpedo carrier and co-acting with a rail to hold the torpedoes on the rail and means for operating the torpedo displacing means.

2. In a torpedo placer, a torpedo carrier, means for supporting the torpedo carrier, torpedoes, spring held clamping members on the torpedoes shaped for embracing the edges of the torpedo carrier, said torpedo carrier having means for spreading the clamps to cause them to engage a head of a rail, a shoe stationed over the end of the torpedo carrier from which the torpedoes are discharged and adapted to hold the torpedoes on the rail while the clamps operate to engage the rail and suitably operated means for displacing the torpedoes from the torpedo carrier into positions un der the shoe.

3. In a torpedo placer, a bar, means for moving the bar, a hanger suspended from the bar, a lever pivoted thereon, a torpedo carrier, a plunger reciprocated by the lever, torpedoes in the torpedo carrier engaged by the plunger, and means for temporarily holding the torpedoes on a rail.

4. In a torpedo placer, a torpedo carrier comprising a stem, torpedoes slidable on the stem, clamps associated with the torpedoes, means carried by the stem for spreading the clamps and means for removing the torpedoes from the torpedo carrier.

5. In a torpedo placer, a torpedo carrier having an opening, torpedoes slidable on the magazine, clamps on the torpedoes, means on the torpedo carrier for spreading the clamps, and means operating through the opening of the magazine for engaging the torpedoes and moving them from the torpedo carrier.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT F. BINGMAN. GEORGE H. WINOHELL. Witnesses:

J. L. HANER, LYDIA A. HANER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

